Vicara

Vicara – Portuguese design made for sharing

Founded in Caldas da Rainha in 2011 by João Marcão and Paulo Sellmayer, Vicara became a platform for a new generation of Portuguese design. Working closely with independent designers, small manufacturers and skilled craftspeople, the studio transformed local materials and traditional techniques into distinctive objects for contemporary life.

Designers such as Mariana Filipe, Samuel Reis and Brazilian-Portuguese designer Brunno Jahara shaped the remarkably diverse Vicara catalogue. Their work ranged from tactile terracotta tableware to sculptural wooden pieces and expressive vessels. Despite their different approaches, these collections shared one central principle: design should bring people together. Objects were created to be touched, used, passed around and enjoyed in company.

This spirit is beautifully embodied by Mariana Filipe’s Cachopo collection. Handmade in terracotta, its cups and pitchers recall Portugal’s traditional taverns and the pottery culture of Viana do Alentejo. They belong at the centre of a generous table – filled with water or wine and shared freely among family and friends.

Contemporum. had followed Vicara since around 2019 and welcomed the brand into its collection at the beginning of 2023. Although Vicara closed this creative chapter at the end of 2024, its objects and philosophy remain. Today, we offer a carefully selected and increasingly rare collection of these enduring Portuguese designs.